What makes an ecosystem exist/thrive and what are the connections to biomes?
Standards Addressed:
Science 1.04: Discuss and determine the role of light, temperature and soil composition in an ecosystem’s capacity to support life.
ELA Common Core Standards RI.5.3.:Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.
Lesson Objective:
Students will understand the difference between essential abiotic and biotic factors in an ecosystem and will have been introduced to key vocabulary (basics of abiotic/biotic).
Assessment:
Discussion question: What are some connections between the video and the photographs you took while playing Crystal Island?
Tools:
SMART board, projector, computers
Introduction:
Today, we are going identify the essential components in an ecosystem.
Procedures:
Students will classify essential factors in an ecosystem from the list provided by the teacher. Students must identify the categories in which they are putting each term. Students will share out different classifications they generated in their group. List of essential factors: water, sunlight, rocks, air, soil, trees, plants, animals, dead plants, worms, insects, moss, grass and sediment
Define abiotic versus biotic factors in an ecosystem. Now, go back to your classifications. Regroup all the categories into abiotic and biotic factors. Share all abiotic and biotic factors on list.
Play Crystal Island for about 20 minutes. Students will be responsible for taking pictures of 4 abiotic factors and 4 biotic factors as they play the game. Students should label each picture as “biotic” or “abiotic.”
Watch “The Role of Abiotic Factors” on United Streaming. Discussion question: What are some connections between the video and the photographs you took while playing Crystal Island?
1.04: Discuss and determine the role of light, temperature and soil composition in an ecosystem’s capacity to support life.
ELA Common Core Standards
RI.5.3.: Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.